Changing Default Tab Stops

Summary: By default, Word sets your tabs every 1/2 inch. Here's how to change that setting. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 6, Word 95, Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)

Normally, Word assumes that when you press this TAB key in a paragraph that you want to move the insertion point to the next half inch. This assumes, of course, that you have not set any tabs for the current paragraph. If you want to change the default tab stops for a document, you can do so as follows:

Choose Tabs from the Format menu. Word displays the Tabs dialog box. (Click here to see a related figure.)
Change the value in the Default Tab Stops control. You can change it in .01-inch increments, from 0.01 inches to 22 inches.
Click on OK.

Remember that the change you make affects the current document and only those paragraphs that don't have any explicit tab stops set.

Tip #632 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 6 | 95 | 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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Changing Default Tab Stops